Who is responsible for conducting delinquent property tax sales?

The county tax collector or government office assigned to taxes conducts the sales of property with delinquent taxes, SFGate notes. The tax collector must first place a lien against the property before initiating any sale.

Bidding on the property usually starts with the amount of taxes owed, plus court costs, fees and interest, SFGate explains. In many circumstances, the successful bidder is able to purchase the property at an amount much lower than the current market value.Some states allow the delinquent taxpayer time to pay off the debt and retain ownership of the property for an allotted time period after the sale, according to The Nest.